


Tony Sherlock Stark

by Starkvenger



Category: Sherlock Holmes (Downey films), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awesome, M/M, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson Friendship, Time Travel, Tony Stark is Sherlock Holmes, avengers are shocked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 05:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2055615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkvenger/pseuds/Starkvenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Look. I get that some* (see: MOST) of you are upset with how the fic ended. I'm here to say that guys, this was a throw away fic for me. I didn't care about it all that much, and the ending was lazy and rushed. I don't like the story, and I was actually contemplating deleting it all together.<br/>Stop. Complaining.<br/>I'm sick of it.</p><p> </p><p>Tony Stark:<br/>genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.<br/>Sherlock Holmes?<br/>What happens when John Watson comes to the future in search of his long thought dead friend?<br/>How will the avengers react when they learn of Tony's secret life?<br/>Who will Tony choose?</p><p>COMPLETED. STOP ASKING FOR THIS TO CONTINUE.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Watson Comes to Town

It started out as a normal morning. Steve sat on the couch in the living room along with the rest of the avengers, minus Tony. There was some random nature show on the tv, but nobody was really watching it.

Suddenly there was a crash and some colorful cursing coming from Tony's workshop. The team exchanged nervous glances and sprang into action, running down to the shop. They were greeted with a smoke filled workshop, along with heavy coughing.

The heroes stayed at the door in case of any possible threat, but as the smoke cleared they saw Tony getting up and looking at a man with pure shock on his face.

* * *

Tony got up and waved the smoke away from him, unaware of his team at the door. He nearly fainted when he saw the man before him. 

"Watson?" He breathed.

The man coughed and waved smoke away as well, but upon seeing Tony, smiled like nothing else mattered. 

"Sherlock!"

"Watson!"

"Sherlock I thought you were dead! Mycroft and I both did. Where are we? What happened?" Watson asked, looking around.

Tony gaped at the man, his nearly forgotten partner. He remembered that Watson knew nothing about the avengers and slipped into his British accent that had long perfected.

"Watson you're actually here. How did you get here? Did you mess with something in my lab?" He asked, pulling the man into a hug. It had been a long time since he had seen his friend.

"I don't know. Yes I had gone into your lab but there was this strange contraption. I walked over to it and there was a flash, then I was here." Watson replied, taking in his surroundings. 

"Where exactly is here? And why are you wearing such strange clothes?"

"Um well you see-"

"Tony?" Steve said, finally having enough of the conversation. He and the avengers stepped into the lab, and Tony tensed.

Tony whipped his head around to see the avengers walking in, and he mentally face palmed.

He sighed as Watson got between them. "Sherlock who are these people?" He asked, firm but caring.

"Watson." Tony said, still in an English accent, "This is the avengers. A group of extraordinary people who do what we do." He answered, getting confused looks from his team.

"Guys," He said again, this time like normal, "This is John Watson. My partner."

* * *

The Team was in shock at how calm Tony was. He introduced them to this strange man that Tony somehow knew, and now was claiming the man was his partner?

"Tony what's going on here?" He asked, stepping forward.

"Sherlock why is he calling you that?"

Tony blinked and stared at his friends. He sighed. "I uh...um..."

Clint interrupted him. "Whoa wait, did he just call you Sherlock? As in-"

"Sherlock Holmes, best detective in London." Watson said, smiling.

"In all of England at least Watson. You hurt me." Tony said in his English accent, getting odd looks from his team.

"Oh now is not the time Sherlock. You have explaining to do."

Tony sighed. "Ok ok." 

"Let's go upstairs and I'll explain everything."

* * *

Once they had gotten back into the living room, everyone had taken a seat, except Tony that is, and was waiting for the billionaire to explain.

"ok ok. I'll tell you." Tony said, American accent throwing Watson for a loop.

he sighed, a tired look on his face.

"A few years back I had decided to build a time machine. However, i had miscalculated and it backfired, and instead of going foreword in time, I went back. Back to 1885. I met my friend Watson here and changed my name to Sherlock Holmes. Yes the Sherlock Holmes. Anyways, It took me a while, but after a few years I was able to fake my death and come home. After having lots of very odd adventures with john."

The avengers sat still and motionless, their expressions unreadable. Tony continued.

"what was a few years for me, was only a few weeks for you. It was really weird but when I got back things soon got back to normal'. Or as Normal as they can with my life." 

Tony finished and Watson was grinning, shaking his head at him. 

"What?"

"You've caused them trouble obviously."

"I've done nothing of the sort." Tony quipped, unmeaningly slipping into his English accent.

"You caused me trouble for four years. How long have they put up with your antics?"

"Two."

"My point is made."

"Don't be such a know it all Watson."

Clint cleared his throat. "Yea sorry to break up the reunion, but Tony why didn't you tell us you travelled back in time?"

Tony's cheeks turned pink. "I did."

This got confused looks from his team.

"I told you guys that I had met Watson, and got back to the 19th century but you didn't believe me."

The team's expressions softened. "Well what do we do now?" Natasha asked, sitting with a blank look on her face.

"Dinner. I'm starved." Tony replied happily, grabbing Watson's arm and dragging him along.

 

 

 


	2. Dinner Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BEWARE OF FEELS.

The table was set and Tony pulled Watson along, very happy.

"Tea?" He asked his friend, pulling out a dusty tea pot. 

Watson was amazed. "You kept that old thing?"

"Of course. I don't drink tea but a gift is a gift Watson."

"True."

Tony made tea and got out the plates while Bruce ran out to the terrace. 

"You got the steaks Bruce?"

"Yes Tony..."

"Ok well avengers you can help yourselves, Watson grab you a plate."

Everyone grabbed a steak and sat at the table, and Tony brought Watson the tea. 

"So when you said odd adventures, what did you mean?" Clint asked between bites.

"Well, I meant-"

"He means like that one time where he had dress up like a woman."

Half of the team nearly spit out their drink. 

"What?!?" Clint asked, laughing.

"Watson don't you dare!" Tony said with a smile.

"Payback for all the trouble you caused me Sherlock."

Tony waved dismissively as Watson retold the tale, his cheek turning pink as he corrected him when he messed up a detail.

By the end of the story, half the team was cracking up, and the other half was laughing so hard they couldn't breathe. "What about when you were in that fight arena..."

Tony made a gesture to tell him to shut up, then all attention was turned to him. Hawkeye and Bruce looked at him in shock while Natasha and Thor gave him looks of approval. Steve just stared in awe at the billionaire, _Tony_  of all people, in a fighting arena?

Tony gave them a sheepish smile and sighed. "Yea well whatever, it's over now. Come on J." Tony said, tossing his plate in the sink. Watson was whisked away behind Tony, leaving his team at the table. 

Tony looked back to hurt expressions, as they all looked at him. He took a deep breath and mouthed the words "I'm sorry." 

The team exchanged confused glances and Tony ran into the lab, pushing Watson before him. The avengers reacted and sprang into action, running after him down the to workshop. the glass doors were locked and the team watched as Tony pulled out a strange looking device.

It was covered in a tarp and Tony pulled it off, creating a cloud of dust. Tony coughed and waved the dust away, noticing his team in the process.

He gave them an apologetic glance, then turned to his partner. "Watson, why were you in my lab?" He asked, giving his friend a quizzical look.

"Well...i- I thought you were dead, and I- i missed you Holmes. I went in to reminisce. Nothing more." His friend replied, sounding broken and hurt. 

"how's your wife?" 

Watson started to lose his composure. "She- she passed on." 

Tony stared at him in disbelief. 

"I'm so sorry." 

"it's ok. Thank you." 

Tony nodded and looked at his team again, and they began to pound on the glass. Type began to tear up as he looked at the machine.

he flicked it on and began pushing buttons and flipping levers. The pounding on the glass increased. 

"Sherlock I think your friends want inside." 

"I know."

Tony couldn't look at them, not now. He finished pushing buttons and typed in a time. 

Tony walked over to one of his suits smiled and ran his hand down it. A tear streamed down his face as he knew what he had to do.

"Watson. I'm coming with you." 

"Really?" Watson was joyful, but seemed hurt at the same time. 

"But what of your friends?"

"they have each other. You have no one, therefore you need me more."

Watson smiled and pulled him into a hug.

Tony grabbed the mark 5 as well as a photo of him and his team, stuffing it into his suit. 

With tears in his eyes, he looked to his team, sending them a faint smile as he stared into their sad, hurt eyes. 

Steve yelled for Tony, his throat becoming sore, his fists aching as he pounded in the glass. 

He smiled and mouthed his last words. 

"Goodbye guys. Miss you." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna say thanks to everyone who viewed and gave kudos to my work! If you could try and put what you think should happen next! Also, if your from my Instagram, HAI!!!!  
> Thanks!


	3. Waking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony goes to the past with Watson. How will the rest of the team react?

 

Tony Flicked on the machine, ignoring the pounding of fists on the glass. He flipped some switches and turned some knobs, setting the time to 1885. "You ready Watson?" he asked, clutching his picture of the team, along with his suit, tightly in his hands.

Watson smiled and nodded, looking over Tony at the window full of his teammates. "Sherlock, what of your friends?" he asked, trying not to sound hurt.

Tony looked over his shoulder and sighed, turning back to mess with more knobs. "They'll be fine. They have each other. You have nobody." he explained, standing up straight.

Watson felt guilt rising up in his chest, not wanting to be the reason his friend had to separate from his team. He knew what that felt like, he didnt want anyone else to have to go through that experience.

"Ok. All set." Tony said, a sad smile present on his face. He cleared his throat and smiled, his english accent coming through. "Off we go." he said, flicking a switch. Tony looked at the door and Watson couldn't see what he was doing, but knowing him, he was more than likely saying goodbye. 

Suddenly, the machine started to glow. It whirred and buzzed, sending out wind to make papers around them soar. They heard a loud CRACK and saw as the big blonde man with blue eyes had hit the glass with his shield, and the glass had cracked. 

Tony looked to Watson and took his hand. "Close your eyes mate. This is gonna get bright." he said, as the machine glowed brighter. There was a sudden rush of air and their bodies went numb. 

When ~~Tony~~  Sherlock and Watson opened their eyes, they were in the middle of an old cobblestone street, right in front of their flat, 221B Baker Street. Watson looked around and smiled, happy to be home. Sherlock on the other hand hadn't moved. He stared in the direction the blonde man had been, and when Watson had walked over to him, he saw tears in the corners of his eyes. Although Sherlock would never admit it.

Watson grabbed the man's shoulder and he flinched, turning and blinking rapidly. "Oh its you Watson. So sorry." he said, shaking his head and smiling. Watson gave him a worried look, before grabbing his suitcase of metal and carrying it into their flat. 

"Sorry its a bit dusty." Watson said as they made their way into the living room, everything looking exactly as Sherlock had left it, minus the cover on the time machine of course.

"Fine layer of dust about half a centimeter thick suggests i've been gone for at least 8 months." Sherlock stated, moving throughout his living space. "Where's nanny?" he asked, looking around. 

Watson smiled softly. "She's probably in the kitchen. Come on we can go get some tea." he said, grabbing Sherlock's hand.

The detective let himself be pulled along with his friend, smiling to himself. "Hold on hold on." he said, setting the picture of him and his friends on the small table next to his chair. He sighed. "Im going to miss them terribly Watson." he said, turning to face the doctor.

Watson let go of the man and watched as he set down the photo, smiling to himself. "I know. Maybe some cases will get your mind off of it." he said, trying to lighten the mood. The pair walked into the kitchen where they were smothered by Mrs. Hudson, the land lady. 

"You boys worried me sick! Sherlock how dare you disappear, leaving me and Dr. Watson to worry about you!" she said, smacking him on the arm. Sherlock chuckled and rubbed it, smiling at the old woman.

"What on earth are you wearing?" she asked, suddenly realizing he was not in his normal attire. 

Sherlock looked down to see he was still in his old clothes, the ones Tony Stark would wear. Black sabbath t-shirt, jeans and shoes. 

"Excuse me. I must change." he said, excuseing the pair to go into his closet, coming back a few minutes later in a victorian vest over his white button up shirt, acompanied by a dark blue jacket and matching pants. He also wore his black dress shoes. 

Mrs. Hudson smiled and rolled her eyes, walking through the kitchen and over to the front door. "I've got to get home. Very glad to have you two back. And Mr. Holmes-" Sherlock perked his head up to look at the woman.

"Behave yourself Mr. Holmes." she warned, her voice friendly.

Sherlock nodded and smiled, turning to the stove as she left and closed the door behind her. 

"So Watson? Tea?" he asked, turning on the gas stove. It flickered to life as Sherlock grabbed a kettle from the cabinet. He set the metal pot on the counter and began filling it with water, chatting as he did.

"So what cases do we have for today?" he asked, trying to get his mind off his friends and into his work. He always did that when he was depressed or lonely.

"Well, being gone so long did have its- disadvantages. Theres no cases yet because everyone thought you had disappeared." Watson answered, watching as the pot was put onto the flame.

Sherlock nodded and set down the pot, leaning against the counter. "Ok. So no clients." he said, smirking.

Watson shook his head. "No sir." he said. 

So, the pair let the tea warm up, and talked about what had happened in their lives since Sherlock had been gone.

* * *

 

Steve Slammed his shield into the glass, trying to shatter it. Apparently the glass was bullet proof because it took a few tries to crack it. Once he did get through, he kept smashing it against the glass, in hopes he could break it.

The rest of the avengers watched as Steve pounded on the glass, sharing looks of concern with each other. 

Suddenly, the glass shattered as Steve smashed his shield into it, the shards falling to the workshop floor. Steve started running to the machine, his team behind him, when the light got brighter, enveloping Tony and Watson. 

Steve watched as the light grew brighter, shielding his eyes with- guess. His shield. He walked slowly towards the pair, shouting Tony's name, unable to be heard because of the wind. "TONY! TONY PLEASE!" he yelled, getting closer to the two. 

Steve lunged at Tony and Watson, just as the light and wind faded, leaving him to land on the cold workshop floor, breathing heavily.

"NO. No this cant be happening!" he yelled, looking around him. There was no sight of Tony. Or Watson for that matter. "No! TONY!" he yelled, causing some of the avengers to flinch. "TONY!! GOD DAMNIT!!!" he raged, slamming the edge of his shield into the concrete, where it stayed, standing up right like it was made that way.

"Steve its ok." Bruce said, walking up to him. He put his hand on Steve's shoulder and sighed. "Its ok. I promise we'll find him. Its gonna be ok." he cooed, motioning for his friends to come over to them. 

Steve was on his hands and knees, staring at the floor as tears leaked from his eyes, spotting the concrete below him. No one said anything else.


	4. Back To Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony- er...Sherlock and Watson go about their daily business, unaware of the watching eyes. :I

Sherlock paced through the kitchen, thinking to himself. _Ok, ok think. There has to be a way to have both._ He thought, thoughts being interrupted by the teapot screeching.

Sherlock took the pot off the stove and turned it off, setting out two cups and pouring the tea in, placing in some sugar and creme. He then set the pot on a silver tray as well as the cups, and brought them into the living room for him and the doctor.

"Tea?" he asked, handing Watson a cup with extra creme. Watson muttered a 'thank you' and went back to reading the newspaper.

"So I was thinking of making a trip to the ring tonight." Sherlock said, staring into the brown liquid inside his cup. Watson obviously wasn't listening because he muttered something inaudible. Sherlock rolled his eyes and smiled. "Yes. I was also going to go jump into the harbor and sail away to Ireland." he joked. 

Watson's head shot up with a confused look, making Sherlock laugh. "Relax Watson. I was only kidding." he said, making the doctor smile. "Oh. Sorry Holmes." he replied, taking a sip of his tea.

 "I'm going to go out for a while. Would you care to accompany me?" he asked, drinking the last of his tea. He stood and stretched, popping his back. Watson winced and smiled. "I'd be delighted. I could go for a stroll." the doctor replied. 

"Very well, let's go."

The pair walked out of their flat, closing the old wooden door behind them. Sherlock took a deep breath and smiled. He had missed the smell of London. "To the park?" he asked as Watson locked the door. 

"Sure." 

"Very well, We'll be off!" he said happily, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. They walked down the cobblestone streets, maneuvering their way through the crowds. Soon they reached the end of the block, and the pair hurried across, horns honking at them.

They continued to walk, making idle chatter as they did.

* * *

The Avengers sat in the workshop, nobody wanting to believe what had just happened. No one had left, or called SHIELD, much to Natasha's dismay. 

"I can't believe he actually left us..." Steve said, sitting on the floor where Tony was, watching Bruce work on the machine. "Have you got it working Bruce?" he asked.

"Well, I'm no engineer, but I can make it where we can see what's going on there. Although, Tony wont be able to see us." he replied, wiping the oil off his forehead. Bruce replaced the panel he had taken off and flicked some switches, and a hologram-like image appeared over it. 

In the image, It showed two men walking down the street, talking. 

"Is that them?" Clint asked, stopping his arrow sharpening.

Bruce nodded and turned some dials, and sound was heard. They could now see and hear Tony and Dr. Watson.

"Jarvis? Could you enlarge the image?" Bruce asked, hoping the AI would respond to him. "Of course Dr. Banner." the AI replied. The image was enlarged so everyone could see it, and they all sat on the old couch Tony had put in there, apart from Thor who stood, while Natasha sat on a stool.

"What are they talking about?" Clint asked.

* * *

Sherlock and Watson were walking down the sidewalk when Tony heard a ringing in his ears. He paused for a moment, and the ringing disappeared. "Strange." he said, looking around. "Do you get the sensation we're being watched Watson?" he asked.

Watson shook his head and the pair began walking again, unaware of the Avenger's shock at Tony's reaction.

"So I was thinking, and I think you should take it easy for a few days Sherly." Watson said, knowing the nickname bugged Sherlock. "Watson..." the detective groaned, a smile on his face.

"I think that would be nice..." 

"But you have other plans don't you?" 

"You really get me Watson." 

Watson smiled and shook his head at the detective.

* * *

 "They sure do make a good pair." Natasha said, watching the image closely.

"Got that right. And Tony doesn't seem so stressed." Bruce replied with a smile.

"Still won't take a break to save his life though." Steve said, leaning on Clint.

"Do you think Tony knows we're watching him?" the archer asked, looking at the image with suspicion.

"Well, did you see his reaction when the feed showed up? He might..." 

* * *

 Sherlock and Watson reached the end of the block and practically ran across the street and into the park. 

"Ah smell that fresh air Watson. Doesn't it invigorate you?" he asked, taking in that signature Victorian scent. He had spent countless hours trying to recreate the smell, but onthing even came close to the real thing.

"Holmes, are you alright?" the doctor asked, a soft smile on his lips. 

Sherlock nodded. "Quite alright Watson. Even better." he said with a smile. "Come on." he said like a child, making the doctor chase him as he snatched the man's hat. Sherlock ran down the grass with the man's hat firmly in his grip, Watson on his tracks and laughing behind him.

"Sherlock Come on!" he laughed, shaking his head.

"No old man! You have to catch me if you want your hat back!" he yelled, holding his prize in the air. 

There were couples and several gentlemen walking in the park, but other than them, the pair was alone. "Come on John!" Sherlock joked, running away when the doctor got close.

Soon, his chest began to hurt, and he slowed to a stop and sat beneath a tree, panting. Sherlock put a hand inside his chest to feel his reactor, sighing in relief that it was still buzzing.

Watson soon caught up with the detective, snatching his hat away from the man with a playful scowl on his face. Sherlock scooted over and made room for him, and Watson happily took a seat beside his partner.

* * *

 "He's like a child!" Bruce laughed as he watched Tony run away with the man's hat, seeing him laugh for the first time in a while. 'come catch me old man!' Tony had said. 

"I've never seen him that active." Clint said, amused. 

"Anthony seems to be enjoying himself." Thor boomed, making some of them flinch.

"Bruce, will there be any way we can talk to Tony?" Steve asked.

Bruce sat silent for a moment, thinking. He tapped his chin and finally answered. "Well, i guess if Tony were to make it where he could communicate using the machine in that time maybe..." he replied.

Steve smiled. He wanted to tell Tony he was sorry, that he didn't mean any of the mean stuff he had ever said to him, and maybe even ask him to come back. He couldn't tell him what he wanted to tell him yet. Not yet. He wasn't ready.

"look! What're they doing?" Natasha asked, pointing to the pair sitting under a tree.

* * *

Sherlock sighed as he and Watson sat under the tree, completely content with his surroundings. Although, he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. He looked around and found that the sun would be going down soon.

"Shall we go back to the flat?" he asked, standing up. He reached his hand out to the doctor to help him up.

Watson nodded and took his hand, standing up. "Are you going to the ring tonight?" he asked. 

Sherlock smiled. He had completely forgotten about the ring. "Well, I can't let them forget who the best fighter there is, now can I?" he asked, nudging Watson.

Watson shook his head. "Just be careful. You don't need anymore broken bones mr. Holmes." the doctor replied as they set off down the sidewalk. 

By the time they had reached the flat, the sun was halfway swallowed by the horizon.

"Look Watson! Isn't it beautiful? I always used to go to the top of my tower and watch the sunset. It was beautiful watching it disappear over the New York horizon. Its beautiful here as well." he said, smiling to himself. "Reminds me of them."

Watson had slid the key into the door but stopped and turned to his partner. "Do you miss them?" he asked. 

Sherlock turned around and smiled sadly. "Of course. I'll never stop missing them. But my duty is here. With my partner." he replied as Watson turned the key, letting them inside.

* * *

 

The avengers were silent. They watched as Tony spoke of the sunset in New York and how it reminded him of them. Steve's composure began to waver when Tony had said he'd always miss them.

"What was Watson talking about- a ring?" Clint asked, seeming to have been thinking.

"I guess we'll find out. Look." Natasha said, pointing to the screen.

Tony said something to Watson and stepped out, wearing something less formal. He walked down the street with a towel draped over his shoulder. He whistled a song all of them knew. 

"Isn't that-"

"Its is!"

"Oh my god."

"Tony..." 

Tony was whistling the tune to a song Coulson had come up with, and sang to them. They all remembered it perfectly. 

'Our world's about to break, tormented and attacked. Lost and when we wake, with no way to go back. I was standing on my own, but now i'm not alone. AVENGERS! ASSEMBLE!' 

Tony whistled the tune and walked into an old building. Inside yells and chanted could be heard.

* * *

Sherlock walked down the road, whistling a tune to a song Coulson had sung, remembering his friends. He chuckled and turned to face the fighting arena. "Let's do this." he said and walked in.

He smiled as the place was filled with cheers and greetings.

"Sherlock! Where've you been!"

"Nice to see you quick one."

"Its him!"

"He's the guy!"

Sherlock smiled and chuckled, placing his towel on the side of the wall. 

"Who's up first?" he called out with a smile, the owner coming up to him with a big smile on his face, a fat cigar sticking out of his mouth.

"Sherlock! You've been gone for so long! Come for a good fight?" he asked. 

Sherlock nodded and shook hand with the man. 

"Well, i've got a full line up! Lets get started." 

Sherlock smiled again and pulled off his shirt, taking a shot of whiskey, and wrapping his hands. Someone set down a glass of alcohol beside him and he drank it happily, the liquid burning his throat. 

He took a deep breath and climbed down into the ring.

* * *

 

"What the hell is this?!" Clint asked, his voice a mixture of amazement and shock. 

"Looks like a fighting arena." 

"I can see that Bruce." 

"Apparently he's famous there." Steve said, watching closely.

They watched as Tony climbed down into the ring, as he popped his neck, and smiled.

"He's insane!" 

"No, He's Tony." 

* * *

Sherlock looked around him, smiling to the crowd. 

A big man stepped into the ring, tattoos covering his arms. "I'm going to bury you little man." the man said, his Russian accent thick and barely understandable.

"Well, good luck with that my good man." Sherlock replied, readying himself for the fight.

The bell rang out, signaling for the fight to begin. The Russian man made a rookie mistake and lunged for Sherlock, which he easily dodged. 

Sherlock whipped around and ducked he the man swing his face at him, grabbing onto his arm and doing what he called the 'Natasha'- which was he put his feet to the man's chest while grabbing his arm and jumped off, knocking the man down. He handed on his hands and flipped back onto his feet, looking like a gymnast. 

Sherlock smirked. Natasha would be proud.

The man shook his head and stood back up, giving Sherlock the chance to make his move. He ran to the back wall, grabbing onto its edge. The man ran to him, and Sherlock shook his head in amusement. He lifted his legs and dug them into the man's stomach, using all his might to kick him backwards. Sherlock jumped onto him, and using two fingers, hit several joints to make his body lock up.

He smiled to himself, beaming with pride. "Well, that's done. Could someone toss me my towel please?" he asked, catching it. He dabbed it on his forehead as he was declared winner of the match. He unlocked the Russian man's body, and after he stood and stretched, the men shook hands.

"Good match." the man said, and Sherlock nodded in reply.

This went on for a few more rounds, each time Sherlock using combat maneuvers and tacts unknown by even the Avengers. He did flips, punches, used his wit, analyzed his situation, and went for the attack.

After about 8 rounds, Sherlock decided to take a break. He wiped the sweat and blood off his face and walked over to the bar, ordering a drink.

* * *

 

"I had no idea he could do that." Natasha sat, amazed by the billionaire.

"He's amazing." Clint admitted.

"Where did he learn all that stuff?" Bruce asked, trying to figure stuff out.

"Wherever he learned it, he kept it hidden really well." Steve replied.

"Guys, we don't know anything about Tony." Bruce said, sitting back and rubbing his eyes.

There were murmurs of agreement as they turned to watch him drink his alcohol.

"Well some things don't change." Natasha joked.

* * *

 

Sherlock downed the drink, finishing it with a smile. 

"Well, it's been fun everyone, but I've got to get home." he said, no on e really paying him any attention. Sherlock chuckled and walked outside, into the cool night and turned the corner to go to his flat.

He soon reached his address and opened the door quietly, so that if Watson was asleep he wouldn't wake him.

He snuck into the living room to find him partner passed out on his chair, a newspaper over his chest. Sherlock chuckled softly. "Watson, you shouldnt try and wait for me my friend." he said softly, grabbing a blanket and drooping it over him.

"Silly doctor." he said with a sigh. Sherlock turned off the lamp and walked into his room, lighting a lamp. "Ah. Long time no see room." he said with a smile. In the corner, he saw the time machine.

His smile disappeared as he walked over to it. He noticed a blue light was on. "Blue? Blue....blue....blue....BLUE!?" he asked, looking around him, slipping into his American accent. "OK, if i remember correctly, that means the machine's been messed with. Seeing how no one else could do it, Bruce had to have messed with it." he deduced.

Sherlock sighed. "Well buddy, i'm sorry." he said, patting the machine. "Even if you mess with it, I have to activate it here." he said to himself.

The detective yawned and rubbed his eyes. He walked over to his bed, a small one with a hand-made quilt over it. "ahhh... I've missed you most of all." he said, plopping down into the bed.

Soon, Sherlock was sound asleep, and snoring loudly.

* * *

 

"Well I guess we should go to sleep." Bruce said, standing up.

"Is that true? What Tony said? That it only works if he activates it?" Steve asked, standing up as well. 

Bruce nodded and the agents stood. 

"Well, lets meet down here tomorrow morning. I'm sure we'll have a while. This is Tony after all." Clint said, stretching.

And with that, the Avengers split up to go to their rooms for the night.

 


	5. Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OK: now before i get complaints about this, in this story Irene is going to be Sherlock's girlfriend, and I'm going to make her kind of out of character. ok?  
> Dont get your knickers in a twist ok? XD

The next morning Sherlock woke up around 10:00 am. He walked into the living room, only to find Watson sitting in his chair, sipping his morning tea.

"Good Morning Holmes." he said as Sherlock grabbed the cup of tea, sitting down in his chair. "Morning Watson." he replied, sipping the drink. "What's on the agenda for today Watson?" he asked. 

"Well, first off we're going to eat breakfast. I'll tell you more after." 

"Oh Watson, you know better than to keep secrets from me!" 

Watson chuckled, standing up and walking into the kitchen. The doctor grabbed a pan as well as some eggs, and turned on the stove.

"Ah Watson your breakfast is always the best." Sherlock said with a laugh, walking into the kitchen to watch the doctor cook.

* * *

The Avengers woke up and grabbed some coffees, and Jarvis alerted them that Tony was awake. "Lets go guys." Steve said, setting his coffee down and walking to the workshop with his team behind him.

Once they got downstairs Jarvis enlarged the image once again and they saw Tony and Watson standing in the kitchen, talking while Watson cooked.

"Your breakfasts are the best." Tony had said, which kind of hurt Steve's feelings. Tony always said that about his breakfast.

"Your such an imbecile." Watson joked as Sherlock poked him with a spatula. "On Guard!" he said, making a fencing pose. Watson rolled his eyes and laughed, putting his hand behind his back and sticking out the spatula he had to meet Sherlock's.

"Aha! You will not best me this time!" Watson joked, their spatulas hitting against each other, making clinking sounds. 

"Oh Watson, you underestimate me!" Tony countered, as smoke began to rise from the eggs. "Oh god." Tony said, as Watson scrambled to flip them.

"These two are like children." Natasha said with a smile. 

The team nodded in agreement as they watched.

* * *

"Sherlock set out some plates please." Watson said, flipping the eggs. 

"Yes sir!" Sherlock said with a mock salute, grabbing two plates from the cabinet.

 Watson set some eggs down on the plates, and put the pan and spatula in the sink. He and Sherlock sat down and began eating. "Sherlock?" Watson asked, taking a bite of his food.

"Yes?"

"Did you ever tell the Avengers about-"

"About what Watson?" Sherlock asked, setting down his fork.

"About Irene." 

Sherlock nearly choked on his food, coughing and sputtering. 

Watson jumped into action and began patting him on the back. "Sherlock are you alright?" he asked.

Sherlock nodded and stopped coughing, it turning into a chuckle. He shook his head. "No Watson. I never told them Irene. It was too hard." he said, his smile disappearing.

"I guess its good that I invited her over then huh?" 

Sherlock's eyes went wide and a huge smile spread over his face. "Really?! Irene's coming! Irene's coming! Oh Watson you lovable bloak!" He said, standing up to hug the man.

"Ok, ok Holmes. Its not like you to be so affectionate." he joked after being set on the floor. 

"Sorry. That was unprofessional." Sherlock corrected himself. "Its just been so long since i've seen her." he said with a sad smile.

"I know. She'll be here in ten minutes." Watson replied. "Go get yourself dressed."

Sherlock smiled and walked to his room, where he put on a nice victorian suit. He ruffled his hair and brushed his teeth, buttoning his coat as he walked out. "What do you think?" he asked, striking a poke and smiling. 

"I think you look ravishing." a female voice said. A lady poked her head out from around the corner and smiled. 

"Irene?"

"Sherlock!"

"Irene!" 

Sherlock ran to Irene, lifting her into the air by her waist and spinning her around. 

"Oh Sherlock I've missed you." she said, pulling away to smile softly at him. Then, she slapped him. Right across the face. 

Sherlock stood there shocked, but came back to reality. "What?" he asked.

Tears brimmed her eyes as she stared at him. "I've missed you so much. Where did you- No, I don't care. Just as long as your back." she said, pulling him into a kiss.

Sherlock closed his eyes and let himself be pressed against her soft cherry lips, her faint scent of lilac filling his nose. She pulled away and held his head in her hands. She smiled and shook her head. "You silly silly man." she said sadly, turning to Watson.

"Thank you for allowing me to come over Doctor." she said with a smile.

* * *

 

The avengers watched with mouths wide open as a girl poked her head out from around a corner, Tony looking completely joyous. He called to her, apparently her name was Irene. "Irene?"

"Sherlock!" 

"Irene!"

They watched as the pair came together in a hug, and as she slapped him for being gone. She looked like she was going to cry as she cupped Tony's head. "I've missed you so much. Where did you- Nn, I don't care. Just as long as your back." she said as she kissed him.

The avengers watched in awe as Tony returned the kiss, closing his eyes. It was the kind of kiss that only true lovers could share. She pulled away and turned to Watson.

"I-"

"He-"

"She-"

"Holy Fuck man." 

"Clint!"

"Sorry..."

They didn't know what to think. Tony had never shown so much emotion before. They weren't used to it, and honesty, Steve didn't like that he was more open with them than he was with his team.

They looked back to see the trio talking. 

She laughed after Tony told a joke, and Watson looked embarrassed.

Watson started talking, and Steve tuned them out. His jealousy was building up and he couldn't stand it.

"TONY!" Steve yelled, his jealously released in a single yell. 

On the image, Tony froze. He sat up straight and looked around, a confused look on his face. The avengers looked to Steve, everyone shocked.

Tony stood up, his mouth hanging open. "St-Steve?" he called out, looking around him. 

Steve gasped at the sound of his name, watching the image with awe. "He can hear me..." he said. 

Tony looked around some more, before Watson asked him what was wrong. "What? Oh, nothing. Losing my mind probably." he replied with a forced smile. He sat down and started talking again.

* * *

 

Sherlock shook the thought from his head. Yet, he could have sworn he heard Steve's voice. He looked around, nervous.

Watson looked at the detective, feeling helpless. "Sherlock, are you alright?" he asked again.

Sherlock nodded. "I'm- just tired." he replied with a sigh. He smiled slightly and leaned on his arm. 

The pair noticed this and glanced at each other. They sighed. "Sherlock my love, I know you long for them." Irene said, taking her love's hands. Sherlock looked to her in shock.

"How did you know?" 

"Watson told me. And I know what you look like when you miss someone." she said with a sad smile. 

"Well, its fine. Watson needs me, so i've made my choice." he replied, letting his hands be taken in his lover's gentle ones.

"You don't have to make that choice Holmes." Watson replied, looking to his friend. 

Sherlock nodded and stood up. "I'm going to go to my room. Please don't bother me." he said, his voice shaky.

He walked to his room and shut the door, leaning against it. He slid down against it, tears brimming in his eyes. He pulled his knees up to his chest, burying his head into them.

"What am I gonna do..." he said.

 

 

 


	6. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has to make up his mind. Will he choose his friends, or his partner?

Tony sat in the dark, dusty room, leaning on the wooden door. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, where tears had formed. He chuckled weakly. "At least the guys can't see me. Clint would probably crack a joke about me bein- bein' something," he said to himself, his breath hitching as he thought of his friends. 

Tony pulled the photo he had grabbed out from his pocket and ran his thumbs around the corners. He smiled a little at the picture, it was him and the team, in uniform, posing for a group photo after the New York incident.

 

 ~~Tony,~~  Sherlock took a deep breath and stuffed the picture back into his pocket, running his hands through his hair. He looked around him and something caught his eye.

In the corner of the room was the machine, a light glowing strongly blue. Sherlock narrowed his eyes at it and bit his lip. "No. I have a job to do here. Watson needs me." he muttered, turning away from it. 

Sherlock stood and composed himself, taking a deep breath before looking out the old window. "I need to think..." he said to himself, going to it and unlocking the hinge. The detective pulled the window open with a grunt and stuck his head outside.

He then pulled his torso through the window and sat on the window sill, looking up and grabbing hold of the roof gutter. Sherlock heaved himself up onto the roof, the shingles clinking beneath him as he walked slowly up the incline.

"Make a choice, Holmes. Partner or team. Partner. Team. London. New York. Present. Past. THINK!!!" he shouted, sitting down and pulling his knees up to his chest. "How do you make the choice between two families...How can you choose between a brother and a family..." he asked himself, looking up at the clouds.

"You don't have to." 

Sherlock heard a voice and looked down to see Watson sticking his head out of the window. "Sherlock, a little help here?" he asked the detective nodding and walking down, holding out his hand for the doctor. 

The pair then walked up to the top of the roof, taking a seat side-by-side. "You don't have to stay here, Holmes," Watson said, staring at the sun as it began to disappear on the horizon. 

Sherlock nodded, closing his eyes. "I realize. But- you're like my brother, Watson. I can't abandon you again." he said, leaning his head on the man's shoulder. "I can't leave my home again..."

The taller man sighed, his breath shaky and long. "I won't tell you what you need to do. But Sherlock, I need you to know that Irene and myself will be fine if you choose to leave. We survived for over a year without you, so this could simply be a visit." he said, looking up at the sky. "We'd be alright." 

Sherlock lifted his head and looked at the man, his last few words full of pain. He nodded, taking a deep breath. "Watson, I've made my decision," he said, standing up. "I'll tell you in the morning."

The man stood, holding out his hand to the doctor. Sherlock lifted him up and helped him back to the window, climbing in himself after John was inside. 

He walked to his chair, wiping his hand on it and taking a seat on the faded blue-colored fabric. Sherlock clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them as he stared at a wall.

"I've made my decision."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the morning, the sun shined brilliantly over the rooftops of London, dew glistening on blades of grass as the morning fog descended upon the city. 

Sherlock sat in his chair, watching silently as he nursed a warm cup of tea. "Today's the day." he muttered to himself, looking down into his drink. "Today I say goodbye."

Behind him, the machine that was covered in a faded white cloth loomed menacingly, reminding him of how drastic this choice would be- but he had already made up his mind. 

"Sherlock?" He heard a voice, John, and a knock at his door. "Sherlock, can I come in?" the doctor asked. The detective was snapped from his thoughts and looked to the old wooden door that guarded his chambers. 

"Yes John, I want to talk." he said simply. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Steve paced in the lab, gaze flicking between the pair sitting in Tony's bedroom to the machine that allowed the team to see this happening. 

"Steve."

The soldier continued to nervously move about the room, thoughts getting muddled and stress building up.

"Steve!"

He ignored whoever was talking to him in favor of breathing heavily, and still walking back and forth.

"STEVE!!"

This outburst snapped him from his thoughts, the soldier looking to Clint, who was shaking his head. "You mind?" he asked, crossing his arms as he sat in a rolling chair. "You're makin' me dizzy with all this pacing, man." 

Steve stopped, a blush coming to his face as he looked to the floor. "Sorry about that..." he murmured, taking a seat on the couch they had brought down. 

"I'm just worried..." he said, leaning back to rest on the soft cushions. 

"We all are, Steve." Natasha said, trying to comfort the man. "Maybe Tony'll surprise you." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Sherlock wanted to say so many things, had thought it over dozens of times, but when it came time to finally tell them to John, he blanked. "I-" he started, unable to think straight. "I've come to a decision." he said simply. 

Watson nodded, standing up. "Please Sherlock, let this wait until after breakfast."

Sherlock shook his head, standing up and grabbing the doctor's hand. "No John, I have to do this now." he said, taking a deep breath.

The detective let go of Watson, walking over to the machine and uncovering it. "Watson-" he looked over his shoulder, seeing the man's tears about to fall. 

Sherlock picked up an object, which was hidden by his body, and held it close to his chest. He then smiled and swung it as hard as he could at the machine. The object, a sledgehammer, crashed into the metal and sent sparks flying, the machine buzzing and whirring.

The hammer stayed lodged into the metal side, bending it as glass from dials lay scattered on the floor and lights faded from the machine. 

Sherlock breathed heavily, turning back to Watson with a large smile on his face.

"-I've decided to stay." 

~

THE END


End file.
